Giving Back

When Passion Meets Determination-

It’s a late school night and twelve-year-old Cameen gets out of bed to eat a bowl of cereal. He turns on the TV and sees a commercial he thinks is depicting a little bald headed boy crying. Suddenly, his mother awakens. He asks, why is the boy crying? She say’s “ that’s not a little boy, but a little girl.” Cameen then asks is she crying because her parents gave her a Caesar? He’s referencing a style of haircut that he’s used to seeing boys and men from his native Brooklyn New York neighborhood wear. His mother says, no. The little girl has a sickness that made her lose her hair and she’s sad. He asks what sickness does she have? His mother says, I will explain it to you in the morning before school. 4:30 am rolls around and Cameen being an early riser, is sitting at the kitchen table waiting for his answer. As his mother enters the room. Immediately he asks about the little girl from the commercial. His mother explains in more detail what the little girl is going through and what she has is called cancer. Cameen then asks if the people want money to help her get her hair back. His mother answers, yes but more so to help cure her and others like her of their sickness. Overcome by emotion, Cameen tears up and says, that’s not fair. His mother hugs him and he asks if they can help her. His mother says “we can talk more about this after school.” While at school that day, Cameen learns about a part-time after school position assisting the janitor. He lets his mother know and two weeks later he begins working and has been contributing to St. Jude ever since.